Oceania at Christmas?

[djh]

We have spent Christmas with other cruise lines but this will be our first with Oceania. I’m just curious about what I might expect. I’m sure the ship will decorate but do passengers decorate? Do they have any special events? Caroling, special menus etc? Any information will be greatly appreciated. Debbie

[clo]

We'll be on Marina til 12/19 and had wondered the same.  I''m rather a fool for Christmas decorations 🙂

[LHT28]

The ship will be decorated  in early Dec

 

I have not done a Christmas cruise but heard  they have  turkey for dinner everywhere

Santa for the kids

Gingerbread house in  the main area with cookies  etc...

 

Have a great cruise

[clo]

6 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

I have not done a Christmas cruise but heard  they have  turkey for dinner everywhere

 

HUH?????  Turkey for Thanksgiving.  Prime rib for Christmas 🙂

[B-2-Bs Best!]

Nothing special. Nary a Nativity set.

 

We've seen much more appropriate Christmas deco on Crystal, Cunard and Princess.

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, clo said:

HUH?????  Turkey for Thanksgiving.  Prime rib for Christmas 🙂

Don't forget the Dungeness crab on the eve of both holidays.

[clo]

4 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Don't forget the Dungeness crab on the eve of both holidays.

Do they get them in live?  We got spoiled doing several years of house exchanges in Sonoma and Sonoma Market cooked them there.

[Flatbush Flyer]

55 minutes ago, clo said:

Do they get them in live?  We got spoiled doing several years of house exchanges in Sonoma and Sonoma Market cooked them there.

Actually, I was talking about holiday traditions (here in NorCal) and not Oceania. 

That said, we've often had local seafood on certain O itineraries.

[clo]

6 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Actually, I was talking about holiday traditions (here in NorCal) and not Oceania. 

That said, we've often had local seafood on certain O itineraries.

Ah yes.  One of our daughters and her family live in Corte Madera and, except for the year with the algae bloom, they usually have a big day after Thanksgiving bash at their house and they cook the crabs. They go through something like 30 IIRC.

[Flatbush Flyer]

10 minutes ago, clo said:

Ah yes.  One of our daughters and her family live in Corte Madera and, except for the year with the algae bloom, they usually have a big day after Thanksgiving bash at their house and they cook the crabs. They go through something like 30 IIRC.

Dungeness crab, sourdough and a bottle of Martin Ray (Sonoma) Chardonnay. Yum.

perhaps the only other thing that comes close is Abalone (but that was a long time ago for those of us who would need to buy it).

[clo]

4 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Dungeness crab, sourdough and a bottle of Martin Ray (Sonoma) Chardonnay. Yum.

perhaps the only other thing that comes close is Abalone (but that was a long time ago for those of us who would need to buy it).

With newspaper spread on the floor.  And we prefer sparkling.

 

The last time I DIDN'T order abalone was about 40 years ago at a place in Oakland perhaps.  Met a friend for lunch.  And the lunch portion. 40 years ago, was $32!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[clo]

6 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Actually, I was talking about holiday traditions (here in NorCal) and not Oceania. 

That said, we've often had local seafood on certain O itineraries.

Ah yes.  One of our daughters and her family live in Corte Madera and, except for the year with the algae bloom, they usually have a big day after Thanksgiving bash at their house and they cook the crabs. They go through something like 30 IIRC.

[Mura]

4 hours ago, clo said:

HUH?????  Turkey for Thanksgiving.  Prime rib for Christmas 🙂

You can ALWAYS get prime rib on Oceania, no matter which ship you are on.  The GDR serves it frequently and Polo does so every night.

 

I prefer it in Polo but it's awfully good in the GDR as well.  In Polo you can take the king's cut which is 32 oz. or the queen's cut which is only 16.  The different is that the king's cut is on the bone. I always order that even though there's no way I can finish it ...

 

Mura

 

[clo]

19 minutes ago, Mura said:

The different is that the king's cut is on the bone. I always order that even though there's no way I can finish it ...

We both love bone-in!  And I totally plan to take some back to our cabin and have with some cheese and other accoutrements .  We don't waste food 🙂

[Mura]

LOL.  I've never seen someone ask for a doggie bag on a cruise!  But why not????

 

Mura

[clo]

2 minutes ago, Mura said:

LOL.  I've never seen someone ask for a doggie bag on a cruise!  But why not????

 

Mura

They have to throw it out.  We can have a glorious snack/lunch/whatever.

[DeeniEncinitas]

2 minutes ago, clo said:

They have to throw it out.  We can have a glorious snack/lunch/whatever.

My kind of girl👍👍👍👍👍

Denise😊

[clo]

8 minutes ago, Mura said:

LOL.  I've never seen someone ask for a doggie bag on a cruise!  But why not????

 

Mura

If I feel awkward I'll wrap it in a paper napkin and slip in my bag.  But, realize, that we Left Coasters tend to not like waste 🙂  Here's an omelet that I make from leftovers.

[LHT28]

12 minutes ago, clo said:

If I feel awkward I'll wrap it in a paper napkin and slip in my bag.  But, realize, that we Left Coasters tend to not like waste 🙂  Here's an omelet that I make from leftovers.

 

 

They do not allow cooking in the cabins 😎

[clo]

7 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

They do not allow cooking in the cabins 😎

I didn't mean I'd make an omelet or anything else in our cabin 🙂  But some great rare beef and other goodies is awfully good.

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, clo said:

We both love bone-in!  And I totally plan to take some back to our cabin and have with some cheese and other accoutrements .  We don't waste food 🙂

Sorry -no doggie bags and, in all honesty, "sneaking" food in one's pocket or purse is just as "low rent" as carting around personal booze in the public spaces. 

 

So, it would be far less wasteful to initially order dinner portions that match your appetite. After all, you can have that "no extra cost" specialty restaurant lobster or beef filet pretty much every night (as long as you're flexible about time and table sharing).  And most entrees can be ordered as full or appetizer portions. Also, no desserts "to go."

 

Hungry later? Room service. 

 

Edited August 5, 2019 by Flatbush Flyer

[clo]

9 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Sorry -no doggie bags.

I'm a proponent of asking forgiveness rather than permission 🙂  And we're not dessert people.

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 minutes ago, clo said:

I'm a proponent of asking forgiveness rather than permission 🙂  And we're not dessert people.

Not a matter of forgiveness vs permission. Rather, it's more about decorum and good common sense. For better or worse, legions of Oceania regulars are very happy with what could be described as the status quo in policies regarding food and beverages. 

 

That said, O management is very responsive to passenger preferences and expectations. Thus, if enough folks cited (e.g., on their comment cards) a desire for "doggie bags," you might find that option available in some future cruise. But, IMO, don't hold your breath on that item. 

 

Bottom line: You may be in for a bit of cruise culture shock.

[clo]

12 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Hungry later? Room service. 

 

It's not that.  At all.  We don't waste food.  The two of us make a dinner and a breakfast out of an 8oz. filet.  I can take some leftover meat, put with some cheese etc. and have a lovely lunch on our verandah.  

 

Decorum?  Don't go there.  The people who should be practicing decorum could perhaps think about dressing as recommended and use good table manners.  I'm 72 and grew up in the South.  I KNOW decorum.

 

Oh, LOL.  I just saw this piece that says it's now a law in France that people be offered a container for their leftover food.  So if the FRENCH do it..... 🙂  Maybe I'll print this out.

https://www.lifegate.com/people/lifestyle/france-food-restaurants-doggy-bag

[Flatbush Flyer]

18 minutes ago, clo said:

  ....We don't waste food.  The two of us make a dinner and a breakfast out of an 8oz. filet. 

One way or the other, your "waste" (in one form or another) will need to be disposed. So, just order appetizer portions. Much more efficacious for the environment.

 

I can take some leftover meat, put with some cheese etc. and have a lovely lunch on our verandah.

Please don't tell me that your plan includes leaving dirty dishes in the hallway. Though they would never mention it, cabin stewards and wait staff just love adding additional clean up beyond what results from room service.

 

I just saw this piece that says it's now a law in France that people be offered a container for their leftover.....

Tu n'es pas en France.